Fuel Talk

[defaultx]

So guys, this is usually a pretty controversial topic amongst forums and everyone has their own opinions on what the right fuel for their car is. What do all of you use and why? With my new golf coming I have done a bit of reading up on what fuels work best with the car (obviously 98 octane). Most people out there say BP is the way to go and that Shell's V-Power puts out too much carbon from the exhaust...

Thoughts...?

[Pharkus]

Ok I'll bite. BP Ultimate.

[10d]

BP Ultimate

[Tensixty6]

Caltex Vortex 98.

The Service Station I go to is conveniently located on the way to work and I can pay at the pump with my Everyday Money card. No queuing at the checkout.

[Capercat]

BP Ultimate

[defaultx]

I see a trend developing hahaha

[MasterKevin]

BP Ultimate hands down :)

[Pharkus]

BP Ultimate?

[mikinoz]

When possible, BP Ultimate Diesel... ;)

[nath_mk6]

I use V-power due to the convienience factor, been thinking of trying Ultimate to see what the difference is, if any

[Rayjuice]

Does anyone mix the fuel from different servos?
Is it bad for the car?

[defaultx]

I was planning to jump on the BP band wagon so now looks like I will for sure. I have noticed the BP prices can be a little higher at times but I don't mind paying for the better fuel :)

I also noticed you can get the BP credit card which gives you 5% off your fuel which when using utlimate would probably work out at around 7-9c per litre and you don't have to muck round with dockets and all that...any of you use that card?

[bwen]

BP Ultimate also, I have used V-Power in the past though

[S&H]

Normally Caltex 98 but BP Ultimate when I can find it.
Shell V-power only as a last resort.

[Paolo]

Mobil for me
previously used Caltex but heard a few bad things from my mechanic so made the switch

[Frenchie]

91 ethanol from Gas 'N' Go Tempe - highly recommend it :)

Shell V-power for me cause it is gives my R extra powah.

[derek]

Caltex Vortex 98

[SUGA]

I like BP cause it's got a green flowery logo which makes me feel like the oil is cleaner lol

On a serious note, I have been unbiased and have tried every premium fuel out there. Out of all of them, BP Ultimate seems to give the most response and makes the car run smoother.

[Pharkus]

I ran my car down to fuel warning. MFD showed 5km left, which wasn't intentional. Was just so excited I took the car out for a good run in and forgot about petrol. Rocked up to a shell and put in a tank of V-Power. Engine seemed to run a bit lumpy??? Was on BP Ultimate in my previous car even though it didn't require it. Now I haven't filled anything else besides.

I'm enough of an accountant that even though I don't need receipts as I don't claim on my car. But I should have them all at home, on which I have written down the km's travelled at the time of filling up. I used to have a spreadsheet 1.5 years into ownership of the R reconciled back to the life to date odometer reading in my car. But lost it upon transition of jobs (yes I got escorted out!!!). From memory totaling litres entered compared with total km travelled I think my average was still up in the low to mid 12/100km level. Of course you need to take into account that I drive "normally". I'll see if I can be arsed spreadsheeting the data again and if I can in fact find all the receipts.

[defaultx]

I used to do the same Pharkus...for tax purposes but now I'm not doing as many km's for work I've stopped. Probably going to have to start up again once I have the new car because I want to claim back what I'm entitled to.

Interesting Frenchie...I've heard V-Power in the R32 is fine and works well but the GTI has issues with it, not sure why. That being said though, my motorbike mechanic has told me to steer well clear of Shell for my bike. Apparently BP and Caltex are the way to go on two wheels. He told me he sees a lot of fouled plugs from Shell users. I have a mate that swears by Shell for his bike but that being said, he has fouled 3 sets of plugs so far :lol:

[dopey]

BP Ultimate has always been my preference in all my performance vehicles, however in the Golf I will fill it up with any 98 if I can't get to a BP. Since I live about 300m from a BP outlet however, BP is what it gets 99% of the time!

When it comes to regular fuel to put into the Camry, I go to Shell because they're the only ones on Parra Rd that have some regular 91 non-ethanol fuel left. Ethanol fuels are the devil!

[ml16]

BP Ultimate....Diesel. it doesn't seem to be around any more, can anyone shed light on this? Otherwise its just normal diesel from where ever

[Mister_duck]

BP Ultimate....Diesel. it doesn't seem to be around any more, can anyone shed light on this? Otherwise its just normal diesel from where ever

I did read somewhere why they have stopped supplying BP Ultimate diesel, can't remember now.
Sydney has yet to even see the Ultimate BP diesel.

I tend to stick with Bp diesel normally, though lately i have been mixing it up with the Caltex vortex diesel.

Tend to stay away from shell normally, as my dad has had problems with shell diesel.

[Pharkus]

I used to do the same Pharkus...for tax purposes but now I'm not doing as many km's for work I've stopped. Probably going to have to start up again once I have the new car because I want to claim back what I'm entitled to.


My recording of data was purely for tracking of fuel consumption purposes to let me know ball park of what I should be getting out of the car. =)

[Paul_OH]

This may throw the cat amongst the pigeons and it's difficult to confirm if true but here goes.

Here in Perth the only refinery is BP and I've been informed by a BP Engineer friend of mine that all 95 & 98RON fuel sold here whether by BP, Caltex, Peak etc is sourced from BP Kwinana as it doesn't make economic sense for the other majors to import/transport & store the relatively small amount of 'boutique' fuel consumed.
He also told me that it was likely (but unconfirmed) to be the case in other capital cities with Caltex in Brisbane and Caltex in Sydney being the major refiners in those locations. Whether there is a small difference in additives for each of the buyers I don't know however in Perth he said 98 is 98 wherever you get it from and the biggest change you can expect is from turnover - ie pick the stations that have a high traffic level to ensure the freshest fuel.

As I said, I can't confirm in black and white the fact of this however he has no reason to tell porkies. Interesting nonetheless.

Paul

[defaultx]

I've heard this is the case too Paul but I don't know how true it really is...I work out near the Caltex refinery and only ever see Caltex trucks driving past, never seen a Shell or BP

[R32Perth]

Yeah I have been told the same Paul.

Also in terms of Ultimate Diesel, I was told there has been issued with the additives that BP uses and is being resolved, hence not Ultimate Diesel is currently on the market.

[dopey]

This may throw the cat amongst the pigeons and it's difficult to confirm if true but here goes.

Here in Perth the only refinery is BP and I've been informed by a BP Engineer friend of mine that all 95 & 98RON fuel sold here whether by BP, Caltex, Peak etc is sourced from BP Kwinana as it doesn't make economic sense for the other majors to import/transport & store the relatively small amount of 'boutique' fuel consumed.
He also told me that it was likely (but unconfirmed) to be the case in other capital cities with Caltex in Brisbane and Caltex in Sydney being the major refiners in those locations. Whether there is a small difference in additives for each of the buyers I don't know however in Perth he said 98 is 98 wherever you get it from and the biggest change you can expect is from turnover - ie pick the stations that have a high traffic level to ensure the freshest fuel.

As I said, I can't confirm in black and white the fact of this however he has no reason to tell porkies. Interesting nonetheless.

Paul


This is a story I've read on another forum,


A mate who works at the Caltex refinery in Brisbane posted this on another forum a couple of months ago. Thought it might be of interest.

-------------------

I use and recommend BP ultiimate, even though I work at Caltex.

Caltex actually provides BP with the majority of its 98 RON these days (which is why there was no 98 RON over Xmas 2008 when Caltex Refinery experienced an unplanned shutdown 12th December 08), and the only difference is the additives. BP blends in a pretty harsh fuel cleaner, which tends to provide better fuel economy over time and with consistant use. The cleaner BP uses also increases the density of the fuel, which provides a better burn IMO.

Some people have experienced issues with "brand x" fuels occasionally. 99.9% of the time its the servo that has the issue (water in tanks, silicone residue left over after maintenance flushing, etc), so my recommendation is to change servos if you ever have a problem.

For those who swear by Shell, the update on their situation is that they are still importing their fuels. While there is nothing wrong with them, keep in mind it usually takes 2-4 weeks before they get to Australia, then another few days before distribution - as opposed to BP and Caltex fuels, that are made and distributed in less than a week. Imported high spec fuels (such as 98 RON) are usually off (as low as 91 RON) by the time they hit Australian shores, so an additive is used to bump up the octane rating again.

Keep in mind that all fuels are batch tested daily, and must conform to various government regulated standards prior to distribution, so theoretically the only difference between local and imported fuels is their age (pity its not like red wine or a good single malt whisky). Also, when there are reports of fuel damaging cars, its very easy to find out if it was the servo or the fuel manufacturer who caused the problem by simply tracking down the batch delivery info at the servo...

Shell (Geelong) is still off line, although they haven't made any of their staff redundant yet, however we now have a new GM Refining at Caltex (Lytton) and he came from Shell. No news on when they will start up again, as all repairs have been made and theoretically the plant is ready.

BTW, Caltex Kurnell (Sydney) refinery has always produced 98 RON. When we had the outage from 12th Dec 08 to late Jan 09, Kurnell supplied QLD with both 95 & 98 RON (in substantially small quantities).


The one thing I can confirm for myself is that Shell V-Power must have different additives to the other fuels - the smell from the exhaust changes massively when any of my cars run on V-Power (especially my Nissan Silvia) it really does smell rank.

[S&H]

This may throw the cat amongst the pigeons and it's difficult to confirm if true but here goes.

Here in Perth the only refinery is BP and I've been informed by a BP Engineer friend of mine that all 95 & 98RON fuel sold here whether by BP, Caltex, Peak etc is sourced from BP Kwinana as it doesn't make economic sense for the other majors to import/transport & store the relatively small amount of 'boutique' fuel consumed.
He also told me that it was likely (but unconfirmed) to be the case in other capital cities with Caltex in Brisbane and Caltex in Sydney being the major refiners in those locations. Whether there is a small difference in additives for each of the buyers I don't know however in Perth he said 98 is 98 wherever you get it from and the biggest change you can expect is from turnover - ie pick the stations that have a high traffic level to ensure the freshest fuel.

As I said, I can't confirm in black and white the fact of this however he has no reason to tell porkies. Interesting nonetheless.

Paul

I used to work for ExxonMobil a few years ago (when I was back living in Singapore for a while) and we had BP, Shell and Caltex tankers filling up at our refinery. So what your friend says has some truth to it.

I was also told the same thing when I spoke to an independent petrol station owner (caltex) in the 90s. He said would purchase fuel from whomever was the cheapest the day he needed to fill the tanks. So the fuel you are purchasing could also be a cocktail of several brands.

[defaultx]

Interesting read there dopey...guess the whole import thing gives us more reason to stick to BP/Caltex

[Cam]

When I had my TDI BP diesel was what I tried to fill up with. The bad thing is the closest BP to me is 50mins away.
BP diesel always made the car a lot smoother with more power.

However, the GTI likes V-power.
I put a tank of BP ultimate in the GTI the second week after I had it and it ran like a dog! I don't know if it was a bad batch of fuel but it was shocking.
The gentleman that owned the car prior to me filled it up with V-power from Shell for its whole life. So I think my engine is accustomed to run with v-power lol.

[Capercat]

However, the GTI likes V-power.
I put a tank of BP ultimate in the GTI the second week after I had it and it ran like a dog! I don't know if it was a bad batch of fuel but it was shocking.
The gentleman that owned the car prior to me filled it up with V-power from Shell for its whole life. So I think my engine is accustomed to run with v-power lol.

Very strange indeed, obviously it was a bad batch of fuel, I know my GTI got better millage with BP compared to V-Power, although I didn't mind Opti-Max before V-power came out.

[Bizi]

BP Normanhurst generally has well-priced diesel. It's ultra low sulphur (as they all are now) but sadly there has been no info on when, if ever, BP Ultimate diesel will be supplied to Sydney.

Since BP is a popular pick, did anyone get the Citi BP credit card (MC from memory) to save 5% on all fuel for 3mths? It might have been a decent deal for saving 6c+ per litre. However there would be the application fee, unless you are aware of any free first-year offer. Perhaps via professional associations.

To our forum owners - if you could source enough interest, perhaps you could arrange a co-branded BP MC for your forums! :D

[Paul_OH]

Funny thing is in Perth we don't even have 98ron available from Shell - not that I've ever seen it anyway. If I'm looking to fill up I don't even bother checking with Shell anymore.

[Mister_duck]

BP Normanhurst generally has well-priced diesel. It's ultra low sulphur (as they all are now) but sadly there has been no info on when, if ever, BP Ultimate diesel will be supplied to Sydney.

Since BP is a popular pick, did anyone get the Citi BP credit card (MC from memory) to save 5% on all fuel for 3mths? It might have been a decent deal for saving 6c+ per litre. However there would be the application fee, unless you are aware of any free first-year offer. Perhaps via professional associations.

To our forum owners - if you could source enough interest, perhaps you could arrange a co-branded BP MC for your forums! :D

Yeah i've got one of those citibank BP credit cards, had it for as long as i can remember, Try to remember to use it when I pay for diesel.

[Jethro41]

I've used both Shell and BP products (98)...no issues with either...IMO no difference.

[random]

imo there are no difference between the fuels, fuel is fuel.

I'm sure there are differences, but i don't think V Power, would be more prone to car breaking down, compared to the others.

Maybe the tank you filled up with V power, you drove differently, etc. To saying a certain fuel got you more kms are personal experiences.

Personally, i've tried all the fuel types from bp or caltex or shell... i go to shell because i shop at coles, and may as well use the dockets, and shell is close by and usually the cheapest.

To be honest, surely 98 from Shell would still be better than thousands and thousands of owners who fuel their car up with 95, which have no problems whatsoever.

Personally i don't think we can tell the difference between different fuels, because it is minimal...

My recommendation would be the most convenient and cheapest... if you use vpower all the time, stick with vpower, same with the other brands. I would definitely not go out of my way to fuel up, because those extra few kms you've "saved" goes to waste by driving further to fuel up.


As for the BP credit card, there are application fees and annual fees... unless it is free, there is no point getting another credit card, just to fuel up. I use credit cards all from 1 banks, so it is easier to manage, would hate to have a bunch of different statements.

[GregoInc]

Thought I'd throw my input into the ring.

Have run my wifes 2008 Astra SRI on the 95 octane ethanol blend since purchasing it some 3 years ago and haven't had a problem. In fact when we experimented using 91 unleaded and the poor old Astra nearly pinged itself to death. The car definately runs better on the 95 and after several comparison tests I found the fuel consumption between 91 and 95 too close to call... which is not what all the 'experts' say happens i.e. they say 91 you get better fuel economy, but I haven't seen it.

I currently run my R on BP Ultimate, but I was wondering if anyone out there has tried the 100 octane ethanol blend? Guess I'm curious to know why VW specifically says the R must only run on 98 octane.

[Romp]

Thought I'd throw my input into the ring.

Have run my wifes 2008 Astra SRI on the 95 octane ethanol blend since purchasing it some 3 years ago and haven't had a problem. In fact when we experimented using 91 unleaded and the poor old Astra nearly pinged itself to death. The car definately runs better on the 95 and after several comparison tests I found the fuel consumption between 91 and 95 too close to call... which is not what all the 'experts' say happens i.e. they say 91 you get better fuel economy, but I haven't seen it.

I currently run my R on BP Ultimate, but I was wondering if anyone out there has tried the 100 octane ethanol blend? Guess I'm curious to know why VW specifically says the R must only run on 98 octane.


where has the 100octane ethanol?

[GregoInc]

where has the 100octane ethanol?

In Melbourne it's a service station chain called United and the pump cover is purple.

[Romp]

In Melbourne it's a service station chain called United and the pump cover is purple.

oh sweet - ive seen united in sydney (cant remember where)

wonder how the 100 octane will work on my 98octane mapping

[Nathan_b]

I like V-power as I seem to get more KM's over BP.

I filled half a tank with 100mix @ winton raceway few weeks back, half a tank only lasted me 3 sessions compared to the 5 I got previously on V-power? Car ran fine, didn't notice any improvement tho, it was the same price as 98 hence my choice to try it

[Ideo]

I mainly use BP 98 as most Caltex servo's, especially Woolies branded ones, don't accept my fuel card.

[zbeasty]

BP Ultimate 98 for me. I drive past the BP on Willoughby Rd opposite the Porsche dealer just about every day so I fill up there when I need to. They also only charge $0.13 more per litre than the 91 price which is better than some places I have been. I've had issues with Shell both of the Opticrap and V Powaaaa variety so steer well clear. If I'm away from home and can't get BP I'll use Mobil. I've also been told that BP used to rate Ultimate as 98 octane at the pump which meant it left the refinery as 100 or more whereas the others are all 98 at the refinery. That info was from a couple of years ago so may have changed.

[zhifchik]

oh sweet - ive seen united in sydney (cant remember where)

wonder how the 100 octane will work on my 98octane mapping

It works fine. I fill up with 100from United in Minto every time I travel to Sydney. Usually get a 20L container for track days. Normally I use BP Ultimate. I'm considering going to E85 now that it can be guaranteed here in Canberra. Bit of screwing around to ensure E85 works but worth it, I believe.

[tuz]

ive been using vpower for many years i think its the best for any car.

[Peanut Butter Wolf]

BP Ultimate. I like green and gold ;)

[Daneel]

I'm using BP Ultimate as well..

Regarding United and their 100 octane fuel - it's just 98 with 10% ethanol added (see here: http://www.unitedpetroleum.com.au/fuels/premium-100). I'll stick with BP for now thanks..

[joshuaa187]

I use Caltex 98 as its a high-traffic servo and really close compared to BP which is about 20 minute drive.

Tried BP Ultimate once and the engine felt smoother but wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks! I seem to get lesser mileage from Shell V-Power and engine doesn't seem to run as smoothly.

[In Black]

BP Ultimate, I like the attendant. (She by the way !!)

[BenR]

I'm using Shell V-Power at the moment. I've had two tanks of it. Will have a crack with BP but not sure where my closest one is. I'll check.

[Ideo]

I have still yet to use my Shell fuelcard.

25000kms in to owning the car :D

[BenR]

My fuel card gets me a discount at Shell but it's still good at BP. Will try BP next tank.

[sam_online]

How to get a fuel card?

[Ideo]

Lease for me.

I have a BP and a Shell.

[*thad*]

I use Caltex 98 as its a high-traffic servo and really close compared to BP which is about 20 minute drive.

Tried BP Ultimate once and the engine felt smoother but wasn't sure if my mind was playing tricks! I seem to get lesser mileage from Shell V-Power and engine doesn't seem to run as smoothly.

in WA Shell v-power = BP Ulti or so im informed. Shell dont have the ability to make it here so they get it from BP.
I have noticed no difference between v-power and Uliti. in my r32 and that includes mixing tanks (half a tank of vpower topped up with bp on the weekend)

[Kazzae]

When i was drive a mates 330D i always use the BP Ultimate Diesel. When I buying some Red Bull for the servo it was cheaper than E10!
Crazy... they should ban E10.... Waste of money and power

Work supplies Caltex fuel now so thats what im using

[DBP]

From another forum a few years back - interesting info if you can get through it all!

Firstly, Octane rating is not everything. Obviously our fuels of today are without lead, but unfortunately our modern & supposedly cleaner burning fuels are laced with other nasties like sulphur (more in ULP than PULP). Certainly there is agreement and stringent guidelines set to lower the amount of sulphur in fuels by the powers that be. The first round of this has already occurred with more to follow. There are other nasties too...rumour through the private petro-chemical industry says that the "big guns" who participate in the large supermarket chain discount docket scheme found a very good way to keep their profit margins. The allegation is that waste oil is used as a "filler" in ULP :shock: . We've heard this from more than one knowledgable source and it makes some sense as we no longer pay for removal of our waste oil and haven't for some time now. . In taking out the lead, the oil companies were forced to find economical ways to maintain octane and in doing so we now find many other nasty chemicals in our fuel. Be aware, as the sulphur levels drop in fuel so will the octane rating. There are options available to the oil companies to maintain or improve current octane levels once lowering the sulphur level, but they are expensive and apparently not economically viable.

In most instances, the higher the octane fuel, the cleaner the fuel is. BP Ultimate is reportedly the cleanest and greenest fuel available to the common motorist. I find that it does return better fuel economy in all our cars, they all run much better on it than any other fuel too. When I can't find a BP I head to a Mobil station for Synergy8000 (also 98 RON).

Shell Optimax is a far denser fuel for the ignition system to burn and this results in fouled or wet spark plugs. This is only damaging to early model cars not really an issue for post 1985 running EFI. Carbies, MFI, K-Jetronic do not like it at all. Also, do not even go near the new Shell 100 Octane! Porsche issued a release stating that no model is suited to this fuel. As a sideline to this, V8 Supercars were using the 100 rated Shell at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide (and in a couple of previous rounds)...it all came home to roost for several teams at the Clipsal resulting in dead fuel pumps and all sort of other problems (a little V8 Supercar birdie told me).

[SMOK3Y]

paid 1.72 for 98 today :(